Fraud Trends that may affect your VISA Credit Card

**NEW** Increased fraud at Walmart and Walgreens

Signature FCU monitors fraud trends in order to keep you informed. A new trend we are seeing right now is fraudulent charges at Walmart and Walgreens stores. We encourage you to review your online activity and statements regularly to be on the lookout for unrecognized charges at these stores to be sure your account has not been compromised. Signature FCU will also take precautions to prevent potential fraudulent charges from going through. These precautions are put in place for your protection, but could interrupt your charges at these stores.

One way you can catch possible fraudulent charges is to sign up for Text Alerts. Register your Signature FCU Visa credit and debit cards through our Text Alerts enrollment page. You will receive a text whenever a transaction is made on your enrolled card giving you the ability to alert Visa of any unauthorized transactions as they happen.

**NEW** Text Fraud Scheme

Advancements in technology increases the potential for fraud. If you receive a text, email, or phone call asking for your banking or credit card information please DO NOT give that information out. Please contact the Credit Union directly at (800) 336.0284 or use one of the VISA emergency numbers found on your card or on this website to alert us of such a request.

This newest scheme sent a member a text saying that their ATM card balance fell to a negative amount due to a fraudulent withdrawal and told the member to call an 888 number immediately, which was not one of the approved VISA phone numbers. When the member called, the person on the other end of the line asked for the card number, expiration date, and cvv code. The person realized that this was fraud, hung up, and immediately called their Financial Institution directly. Again, if you are ever in doubt, please contact us at (800) 336.0284. Other VISA numbers you can contact:

NCUA Warns of Fake Check Scams

​Consumers Should Be Vigilant and Avoid Depositing Checks from Unknown Parties

There are many versions of fake check scams. Scammers lure consumers into depositing a cashier’s check, money order, or other checking instrument from someone that they don’t know. They request funds to be wired to the scammers. A check may take considerably longer to clear the financial institution that issued it before the funds can be collected. It could take days or even weeks to discover that the deposited check was fraudulent.

When the check is discovered to be fraudulent, the damage may already have been done. Once a victim wires or sends funds from such a check, he or she may be responsible for reimbursing the financial institution for that amount. Typically, the financial institution will not cover the financial loss and expects the victim to pay the difference.

These checks can be hard to recognize. They may be printed with the names, addresses, and logos of legitimate financial institutions. Consumers are reminded to be on the alert and to not be pressured into wiring funds or sending money after depositing a check.

If you think you or someone you know was the victim of a fake check scam, consider taking the following steps:

Contact your local law enforcement agency to report the scam.

Contact your state’s attorney general. Contact information for each state’s attorney general can be found on the National Association of Attorneys General website.

File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. Your complaint will be filed into a secure online database, which is used by many local, state, federal, and international law enforcement agencies. Complaints from consumers help detect patterns of fraud and abuse.

If you or the victim is an older adult or a person with a disability, contact your local adult protective services agency. You can find local support resources using the online Eldercare Locator or by calling (800) 677.1116.